Broccoli, Chard, & Bean Soup

I have been posting a lot of sweets and desserts lately, and while it would be nice to eat those all the time, I do actually eat pretty healthy the vast majority of the time. So, because of the approaching winter and the abundance of chard, I decided to post about one of my favorite comforting and healthy soup recipes. I love this soup because it has a nice and creamy texture from the beans, a bit of a crunch from the chard, and the wonderful combination of rosemary, Parmesan cheese, and broccoli. When you have a spoonful it tastes like you're eating a garden but in a good way, not in that terrible "cleanse" juice way that just tastes like grass and raw turnips. No, this is quite different, and much, much tastier. Sometimes I have a hard time eating soups as a main meal because I don't find them filling, but the high amount of protein you get from the beans really helps to make this a satiating meal. It just tastes so fresh and wholesome. Also, the recipe doesn't call for salt because the Parmesan cheese adds a good amount of saltiness to the dish, but some people, like my Dad, realllllly love salt, so taste it after you make it and feel free to sprinkle some more in there if you want.

Ingredients:

9 Chard Leaves, coarsley chopped
3 Heads Broccoli, cut into florets
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
(1) 15 Ounce Can Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
2 and 3/4 cup chicken broth
2/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Fresh Rosemary, chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Salt (if neccessary)

Steam the broccoli florets for 5 minutes. If you don't have steamer tray to put inside a pot, you can always use a small metal strainer, which is what I did. Set the broccoli aside.

In a large pot, heat the garlic, onions, and rosemary in the olive oil until the onions are slightly transparent, stirring every minute or two for about 5 minutes. Add the beans and swiss chard and cover, cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and the pepper and bring the liquid to a boil, then cook the soup for about 7 minutes.

Remove the soup from heat, add the broccoli and Parmesan cheese and stir. Ladle the soup into a food processor or blender and blend it until a smooth puree forms, about 1 minute. Depending upon the size of your blender or food processor, you may need to do blend the soup in batches, like I did. Taste and add some salt, if necessary.

Serve hot with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and a decorative slice of chard stem.